SEFCA Remembers Memento

The Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA), comprised of 46 critics living in nine states (including North Carolina), last week named the twisty neo-noir Memento as the Best Picture of 2001. In their 10th annual balloting, group members also handed the film its award for Best Original Screenplay. The other big winner was the epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which copped honors for Best Director (Peter Jackson) and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Other citations included Best Actor to Billy Bob Thornton for The Man Who Wasn't There, Best Actress to Sissy Spacek for In the Bedroom, Best Supporting Actor to Ben Kingsley for Sexy Beast, and a three-way tie for Best Supporting Actress, to Jennifer Connelly for A Beautiful Mind, Maggie Smith in Gosford Park and Marisa Tomei for In the Bedroom.

Rounding out the awards, the French import Amelie took the prize for Best Foreign Language Film, while startup.com earned the organization's first-ever award for Best Documentary.

As was the case over the last couple of years, there's been no clear consensus on what was 2001's best film (a far cry from the years when Schindler's List and L.A. Confidential swept the board). The New York Film Critics picked David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, the Los Angeles Film Critics cited In the Bedroom, and the National Board of Review elected Moulin Rouge. Meanwhile, the Golden Globes tossed most of its nominations at Moulin Rouge and A Beautiful Mind. So while it's a safe bet that Joe Somebody won't be setting any Oscar records, there are still plenty of contenders for precious few spots.